Internet users have come to download and use various types of contents as the Internet has been developed.
A lot of contents providing servers are provided on the Internet, and they provide various contents such as movies, songs, and e-books to the users with or without fees. The user downloads contents from a contents providing server through a user terminal such as a personal computer (PC).
The server-client structure based contents providing method causes the user to directly find a contents providing server for providing contents desired by the user, search desired contents from the contents providing server, and download the same. Also, the user must watch the downloading progress on a large volume of contents, manage a download list, and be authenticated each time so as to download the contents.
The user can access a peer-to-peer (P2P) network so as to receive contents through the Internet. The P2P network includes a plurality of P2P nodes corresponding to PCs, and each P2P node functions as a server or a client to provide the contents to another P2P node and simultaneously receive contents from the other P2P node. The P2P node can improve the downloading rate of one piece of contents by simultaneously downloading the corresponding contents from a plurality of P2P nodes.
The above-noted method for providing contents through the P2P network can realize the server that provides contents desired by the user without the user's search process and without user authentication. However, the user must search for desired contents, continuously monitor the downloading progress status, and manage the download list.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.